In this game, second year quarterback Tom Brady will step in for an injured Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe. This is also the first game after the attacks of 9/11, week two was postponed until after the end of the regular season.

Week 3 of the 1987 NFL season was cancelled and 4-6 were played with replacement players because of a players strike. This is the first game after the strike was resolved, and the replacement players went back to where ever they came from. The Jets Mark Gastineau was the highest profile player in the NFL not to strike and to show his loyalty to the team and not his bank account by playing for the Jets during the strike. When the Jets defense is off the field, Gastineau is seen seen sitting alone, his fellow Jets teammates wont sit with him. This Jet fan would have.